We wish to provide the next generation of biomedical investigators with the correct tools and environment to help them succeed in the rapidly changing scientific enterprise. The omics approaches and bioinformatics tools are the tools for the biomedical research of today and we-have to insure that our undergraduate students understand their underlying strengths and weaknesses. We need to make sure that students in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are learning how to become competitive in a competitive world. It is our thesis that the best training ground will include some research training in competitive labs where investigators-mentors are themselves forging their independence through competition in the federal funding marketplace. Not all investigators will be able to market their ideas, and not all students can be placed in competitive labs, but the strategy of the Developmental Research Core is designed to maximize opportunities for both faculty mentors and student trainees. The logic model below (Table 21) provides a schematic overview of our plan for the Developmental Research Core. Specifically, reading from left to right, this model provides a succinct description of the specific aims of the core, the strategic activities planned to accomplish these aims, the objective measurable outputs necessary to evaluate progress, and the expected short- and long-term outcomes. It should be emphasized that while separately presented and discussed, all aspects of the Developmental Research Core are well integrated into the overall KBRIN operational plan (see Network section), and the activities of other cores (e.g., genomics, bioinformatics, administrative) as well as evaluation processes are critical to the success of the core. Consistent with INBRE goals, the major objective of the Development Research Core is to provide an array of programs to develop a number of competitive biomedical research faculty in Kentucky's primarily undergraduate institutions (PUis). Moreover, it is implicit in this endeavor that we have the intent to develop a sustainable research enterprise. The foundation of this core was developed during the initial BRIN planning grant in 2001, and has continued to evolve based upon annual outcomes assessment, formative evaluation and changing needs. One of the critical components of our approach has always been the element of opportunistic flexibility, the ability to change tactics as needed. This will be explained in more detail below. All along, the primary assumption underlying this program is that each Kentucky institution needs a critical mass of independent biomedical researchers as faculty (who publish on a regular basis and are competitive for NIH grant programs) in order to provide the highest quality biomedical research training to undergraduate students. As noted in our Progress Report, this core has been very successful in developing junior investigators to be competitive for NIH R15 funding (25 R15s since 2007), and equally important, in assisting successful R15 investigators maintain their funding beyond their first R15 award. Indeed, six Pis in the state are now working on their second, and in two cases, their third R15 award. This success has allowed us to support additional researchers at each network institution as well provide incentive funds to recruit ten new highly qualified biomedical researchers to faculty positions in network institutions. This progress in developing a critical mass of independent investigators has allowed the PUis to provide state-of-the-art training and research opportunities for students, which has resulted in an increase in the number of students pursuing biomedical research careers and a better trained workforce (see Progress Report). In the remainder of this section, we first describe the history, evolution, and progress of our developmental research programs along with supporting data and the rationale for modifying these programs over time. Following this introduction, the general guidelines and administrative procedures for all programs are presented, including (1) Eligibility criteria; (2) Award conditions; (3) Solicitation procedures; (4) Application procedures; (5) Review and selection criteria; (6) Progress reports and evaluation; (7) Student research training; and (8) Mentoring services. Following this description of general guidelines and procedures, the specific Developmental Research Programs proposed to build upon our past successes in the next five-year award period are described.